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Monday, September 14, 2009

Marketing Denmark

Imagine a government tourism agency that produces a fake viral video of an attractive women looking for the father of her new baby, the result of a drunken one night stand with a tourist whose name she does not even remember.

Implausible? Perhaps.

But also reality in (you guessed this already) Denmark. The video has been pulled from Youtube but you can watch it here and read the story. You will find some comments from VisitDenmark, the Danish government tourist agency, in this story. Best bit:

VisitDenmark disagrees.

”Karen’s story shows that Denmark is a broad-minded country where you can do what you want. The film is a good example of independent, dignified, Danish women who dare to make their own choices,” says VisitDenmark CEO Dorte Kiilerich.

Why have you chosen to market Denmark as a country with drunken women who have unsafe sex with casual acquaintances?

”That is not a story that I recognise. We tell a good and sweet story about a mature, responsible woman who lives in a free society and shoulders the responsibilty of her actions. And she uses a modern social medium,” Kiilerich says.